Knitting Daily Galleries : Galleries, Jackets

IWK Fall 2008 Backstage Tweed Jacket

Knitting-Daily — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:27:00 GMT

Gallery: Backstage Tweed Jacket by Alina Khasanova

Notes from Sandi: How much ease is enough for this swingy, beautifully detailed jacket? One way to determine this is to measure a garment you already have that has the fit you'd like this coat to have. Then think of how you want to wear it: Layered, with a sweater or other garments underneath, so it functions as a true outerwear garment? Or more as a fancy "suit jacket," with just a thin shirt underneath? The former would require more ease, the latter, less. But again, the absolute best guide to fitting a new jacket is to measure what's already in your closet--provided, of course, that you like the fit! To help you see how the various amounts of ease work for our Gallery Gals, we included a few extra "playful" shots. Hope this helps! About the hook-and-eye closures: This jacket, as designed, is meant to be worn with just a few hooks closed. You can add hook-and-eyes at more frequent intervals or use hook-and-eye tape if you'd like to wear it closed more frequently and eliminate gaping--or leave them out altogether. As you can see, the same sweater looks very different on different women! We give general suggestions for customization for your inspiration. Only you can choose how you want your sweaters to fit and which customizations will work best for you and your beautiful self! Some links you might find helpful: Measuring yourself and your clothing About positive and negative ease Measuring tutorial with photos Backstage Tweed Jacket Sample garment shown is 36.25".



Toni Her bust: 33.5" 2.75" positive ease The fit is good for a suit-type jacket, but Toni loves to layer it on in the cold months, so she might want to have a bigger size. Would she want the 7.5" of positive ease that the 41" would give her? Even for Toni and her layers, that seems like a teensy bit much--6" would be a better fit, so if there were a 39" size, that would be great. The hem length seems a little short on Toni, so I'd bring the length down just a bit. Otherwise: I love the sleeve length, the armholes give her plenty of room to move around, and it's a cute style on her. What about a navy blue for Toni? Pretty.


Kat Her bust: 40" 3.75" negative ease The sample garment is too small, at least to wear as a jacket. I'd choose the 44" for Kat so she'd have some room to move around in. I'd also like to see the sleeves be a bit longer, and in the 44", they are a full inch longer than in the size she's wearing. Notice that it's not just the bust area where things are tight--see how it pulls across her upper chest and back? The 44" would definitely be more comfortable. Another point to note: If she were wearing the proper size, the jacket would be the drapey A-line it was designed to be. Here, it is so tight it conforms to her shape--not that that's a bad thing, but just something to note.



Debbie Her bust: 34.5" 1.75" positive ease I think this is cute on Debbie (but then, what isn't cute on Debbie?), however, she wouldn't be able to wear much underneath. The next size up, the 41", would give her 6.5" of positive ease, making for a very comfy, loose fit. In the sample garment, you can see that things pull just a bit across Debbie's upper body--not much, but just a bit, especially when she moves around. (Maybe Debbie ought to stop working out at the gym so much. Those monster muscles of hers won't fit in the sweaters!) The sleeves are a bit long, so in any size, Debbie would need to shorten them a little, to help her find her fingers when she needs them. The hem length is perfect.


Stefanie Her bust: 34" 2.25" positive ease Take a look at Debbie's photos, and then look at Stefanie's. Stefanie has a little more positive ease across the bust than Debbie, but overall, the jacket looks smaller on Stefanie than on Debbie. Stefanie's shoulders are wider, her torso is longer, and thus her overall proportions are different than Debbie's. Stefanie could definitely use a larger size--although she'd want to keep the sleeve length pretty much as it is here. Since this is an A-line jacket, it is really important to get a good fit across the shoulders and yoke area, since the entire garment falls (and widens) from there. If you are worried about your fit, again, measure a garment you already have that fits you the way you would like the jacket to fit you (it doesn't need to be a jacket!). Compare those measurements to the schematics in the pattern, and choose the size that most closely matches your desired measurements.



Erin Her bust: 38" 1.75" negative ease For a loose, comfy jacket to be worn as outerwear, Erin could choose the 44" and be quite happy. For a closer-fitting "suit jacket" look, she could choose the 41". The sleeves need to be longer, as does the hem. Pretty color on her, though!


Sandi Her bust: 40" 3.75" negative ease The shoulders pulled on this a lot for me, so I couldn't move around very well. (Who knew I was such a linebacker?) To knit this for myself, I would choose the 44" for a close "suit jacket" fit and the 47.75" for a looser "outerwear" fit. I loved the sleeve length, but I think the hem needs to be lower.


Bertha Her bust: 34" 2.25" positive ease I think that the fit here is distorted due to Bertha's lack of, um, upper limbs. Arms would help the shoulders fill out--and since the entire garment falls from the shoulder area, the fit would be better with arms. And shoulders.

IWK Summer 2008 Drawstring Raglan

Kat — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:55:00 GMT

Gallery: Drawstring Raglan, design by Margery Winter

Notes on fit: In the magazine, this sweater is shown slightly open, with about 0.75" positive ease. On our Gallery Gals, we also show it worn open, scooching the fabric back along the drawstring to create gentle pleats/folds from the drawstring downwards. These pleats are an important part of the overall design--notice how they correspond to the points in the lace pattern, giving the lace-and-stripe combination just a bit more graceful emphasis. In other words: You could wear this little jacket pulled completely tight along the drawstring, but it wouldn't drape as gracefully. Keep this in mind when you are choosing a size for yourself--the finished widths shown on the schematic don't reflect the "as-worn" widths created by the pleats. If you like the pleats, and are in doubt between two sizes, choose the larger one and scooch the pleats together a bit more! (For a look at what the jacket looks like without the pleats, see Erin's photo below.) Drawstring Raglan Sample garment shown is 32.75".


Stefanie Her bust: 34" 1.25" negative ease This is definitely too small on Stefanie--she cannot gracefully pull the jacket closed. Also, notice how the back "rides up"--in other words, the drawstring is at a higher level in back than in front, because in front, the drawstring must go under her bust. The next size up, 36.25", seems like it might be too big, but not if you scooched the pleats up a bit. Stefanie might also want to start the beige stockinette bodice about 1-2" earlier so that the drawstring went under her bustline all around. In other words: she would need the beige/plain stockinette section to start about 1-2" before she started the sleeves.


Katie Her bust: 38.5" 5.75" negative ease Notice that this looks as though it fits much better on Katie than on Stefanie, despite the huge difference in negative ease. What's going on here? A key "good fit" measurement for this garment is the underbust measurement, as that is where the drawstring pulls closed. Stefanie has a wider ribcage than Katie; thus Stefanie's underbust measurement is bigger and the 32.75" size looks smaller on her than on Katie. So even though Katie is pregnant and has a bigger bust than Stefanie, the top closes better. That said: Katie still might want to make the 36.25" size, for comfort as the baby grows. Katie might want to add some stripes to the lower half of the jacket in order to lengthen it--her call.		Sandi Her bust: 41" 8.5" negative ease Hoo, baby. Work that negative ease! However, this top is just tooo small--it looked silly when I tied it closed, and the drawstring hits me mid-bust instead of under the bust. The back rides up, as it did on Stefanie, only more so on me. Which size would I make? First of all, my underbust measurement is 37". The 36.25" seems just a bit too small--it would reach around my underbust, but not have a lot left over for those pretty graceful pleats (see Notes at top). The 40" seems like a better fit. Just to make sure, however, I check the hip measurements on the pattern schematic: The 40" size has a 48.5" hip circumference, which is perfect for my new slimmer 43.5" hips: that will fit around them, allowing some extra fabric for the pleats. Nice! Note that I would definitely start the beige/stockinette section about 2" lower/earlier, thus having about 2" of stockinette under my arms before I started the sleeves. This would allow the drawstring to fall in the proper place under my bust.

Erin Her bust: 38" 5.25" negative ease This actually might fit Ms. Erin if the drawstring section were 1-2" lower, as with Stefanie and me. However, notice that even though she can close it nicely, there is no extra fabric for gentle pleats. So the next size up might work better for her.		Debbie Her bust: 34.5" 1.75" negative ease Notice that Stefanie and Debbie have very similar bust sizes, yet the jacket fits very differently on these women! That's due to the underbust measurement. Stefanie has a wider rib cage, Debbie a narrower one. (Be sure to look the schematic and compare your own measurements at this critical point!) The jacket fits Debbie rather well, despite the fact that we were having so much fun that we did not notice that the ties had come undone.
		Bertha Her bust: 34" 1.25" negative ease Ah, Bertha. Is there anything you do not look great in? Again, Bertha's underbust is extremely narrow, so the jacket pulls almost all the way closed on her, leaving just a bit of fabric for delicate pleats. Sooo pretty.

IWK Spring 2008 Holly Jacket

Kat — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:43:00 GMT

Gallery: Holly Jacket, design by Theresa Schabes

As you can see, the same sweater looks very different on different women! We give general suggestions for customization for your inspiration. Only you can choose how you want your sweaters to fit and which customizations will work best for you and your beautiful self! Holly Jacket Sample garment shown is 34.5" General comments on the Holly Jacket


Trish Her bust: 34" .5" positive ease I would make both the hem and the sleeves of this jacket shorter for 4' 11" Trish.		Toni Her bust: 33.5" 1" positive ease The jacket looks big on Toni; since there is a size 33", I might choose to make that size for her instead. However, if she wanted the slightly looser fit of the 34.5" size, I would shorten the hemline and the sleeves. I would also start the waist decreases later, and place the waist higher, to match Toni's long-waisted self. Fewer neckline decreases would help pull the wide scoop neck of the larger size in a bit as well.


Debbie Her bust: 34.5" 1" negative ease Notice that overall, this jacket fits Debbie fairly closely to the fit shown in the magazine. The one thing I would do for Debbie is shorten the hemline by about 2". I would also shorten the sleeves, but not by as much--maybe 0.5" or so, just to bring them up a teeny bit. The neckline here fits Debbie really well.		Kerry Her bust: 37.75" 3.25" negative ease This jacket is too small on Kerry. There is a 37.5" size which would more closely match her size.


Sarah Her bust: 35.5" 1" negative ease This is kind of a stylish look on Sarah, but it's not the way Theresa intended the jacket to be worn! Just goes to show you that there are always lots of possibilities, depending on ease and fit. If Sarah wished to wear the jacket closed, as Theresa intended, then she would need the next size up.		Bertha Her bust: 34" 0.5" positive ease Doesn't Bertha look like Audrey Hepburn? Sooo adorable.

NOTE: The placket looks a little funky because we lost the inner buttons and had to pin it. When we sewed the buttons back on, the placket laid nice and smooth, just as Theresa designed it to!

General notes on the Holly: Gentle waist shaping worked with a combination of decreases and needle-size changes make this garment relatively easy to alter. The flared "skirt" will skim over a larger belly or hips (or backside), the scooped neck and vertical placket design give the eye something to look at besides your "areas of concern" up top! Make sure that the hem falls below your widest bits and that the sleeve length falls either above the "waistline" on the jacket or below the waistline, to keep the eye moving up and down the hourglass.

IWK Winter 2007 Aran Jacket

Kat — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:38:00 GMT

Gallery: Refined Aran Jacket -- design by Pam Allen

Once again, Bertha and the Interweave gang all try on the same sweater for the greater good of knitting, to demonstrate how the sweater looks with various amounts of ease, both positive and negative.

As you can see, the same sweater looks very different on different women! We give general suggestions for customization for your inspiration. Only you can choose how you want your sweaters to fit and which customizations will work best for you and your beautiful self! Notes on the Refined Aran Jacket by Katie Himmelberg, assistant editor of Interweave Knits: Another of our reader's favorite projects from the Winter issue, this sweet little sweater designed by Pam Allen combines the tailored look of a jacket with the comfort of a cardigan. This sweater is really all about the details; the petite shawl collar, the sleeve cables extending to the saddle shoulders, and the fine finishing of the pockets. Smooth merino yarn, made up of multiple plies (a "cabled" yarn, made up of plied plies) shows great stitch definition so that the cables really pop. The fit is achieved through waist shaping, so again, be sure to check the schematic against your own measurements to choose the best fit! A little extra room (less than 2") in the bust would not detract from the fitted look; a jacket that is too small will cause the buttonholes to gape and could detract from the clean lines and sophistication of the silhouette. When checking the armhole measurement on the schematic, keep in mind that some additional depth will be provided by the saddle shoulder extension on the sleeve. Add half of the width of the saddle shoulder extension (half of 1 1/2"; 3/4") to the armhole measurement for the total finished armhole depth. I like to knit cardigans in more conservative colors than I might otherwise choose because you will almost always see what I'm wearing underneath. Choose your favorite color, the color that matches the most items in your wardrobe, or a neutral for the maximum wearability. This style would look great with a button-down dress shirt, a camisole, a v-neck tee, a dress…cardigans are so versatile, it would work with nearly any outfit. Sample garment shown has the following finished measurements: Bust: 34" (86.5 cm) given in pattern specifications Waist: 34" (86.5 cm) shown on schematic Hem: 38" (96.5 cm) shown on schematic Neck to Hem: 21" (53.5 cm) calculated from schematic Waist to Hem: 13.5" (34.5 cm) shown on schematic
Annie Her bust: 31" (78.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 3" (7.5 cm) positive ease

Bertha Her bust: 34" (86.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 0" (0 cm) no ease/negative ease Waist: 24.5" (62 cm) Hip: 35" (89 cm) Neck to Waist: 13" (33 cm) Bertha has neither legs nor tailbone, so we cannot give her height; we estimate her center back length as 18" (45.5 cm).

Debbie Her bust: 34.5" (87.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: .5" (1.3 cm) negative ease Waist: 30" (76 cm) Hip: 38.5" (98 cm) Neck to Waist: 14" (35.5 cm) Center Back Length: 18.5" (47 cm) Height: 5 ft 2 in

Erin Her bust: 38" (96.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 5" (12.5 cm) negative ease Waist: 33.5" (85 cm) Hip: 43" (109 cm) Neck to Waist: 17" (43 cm) Center Back Length: 23" (58.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 10.5 in

Karen Her bust: 31.5" (80 cm) Ease at bst as shown: 2.5" (6.5 cm) positive ease

Katie Her bust: 35.5" (90 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 1.5" (3.8 cm) negative ease Waist: 27" (68.5 cm) Hip: 37" (94 cm) Neck to Waist: 17" (43 cm) Center Back Length: 25" (63.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 10 in

Stefanie Her bust: 34" ( 86.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 0" (0 cm) no ease/negative ease

Sandi Her bust: 40.5" (103 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 6.5" (16.5 cm) negative ease Waist: 37" (94 cm) Hip: 42" (106.5 cm) Neck to Waist: 18" (45.5 cm) Center Back Length: 22" (56 cm) Height: 5 ft 4 in

Toni Her bust: 33.5" (85 cm) Ease as shown: .5" (1.3 cm) positive ease Waist: 29" (73.5 cm) Hip: 35.5" (90 cm) Neck to Waist: 15" (38 cm) Center Back Length: 18" (45.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 5 in

IWK Winter 2007 Rosemary Swing

Kat — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:36:00 GMT

Gallery: Rosemary's Swing Jacket -- design by Cathy Carron

Once again, Bertha and the Interweave gang all try on the same sweater for the greater good of knitting, to demonstrate how the sweater looks with various amounts of ease, both positive and negative.

As you can see, the same sweater looks very different on different women! We give general suggestions for customization for your inspiration. Only you can choose how you want your sweaters to fit and which customizations will work best for you and your beautiful self! Sample garment shown has the following finished measurements: Bust: 33.5" (85 cm) shown on schematic Waist: no defined waist Hem: 41.5" (105.5 cm) shown on schematic Neck to Hem: 18.25" (46.5 cm) shown on schematic Waist to Hem: no defined waist
Annie Her bust: 31" (78.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 2.5" (6.5 cm) positive ease

Bertha Her bust: 34" (86.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: .5" (1.3 cm) negative ease Waist: 24.5" (62 cm) Hip: 35" (89 cm) Neck to Waist: 13" (33 cm) Bertha has neither legs nor tailbone, so we cannot give her height; we estimate her center back length as 18" (45.5 cm).

Debbie Her bust: 34.5" (87.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 1" (2.5 cm) negative ease Waist: 30" (76 cm) Hip: 38.5" (98 cm) Neck to Waist: 14" (35.5 cm) Center Back Length: 18.5" (47 cm) Height: 5 ft 2 in

Erin Her bust: 38" (96.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 4.5" (11.5 cm) negative ease Waist: 33.5" (85 cm) Hip: 43" (109 cm) Neck to Waist: 17" (43 cm) Center Back Length: 23" (58.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 10.5 in

Kat Her bust: 40" (101.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 6.5" (16.5 cm) negative ease Waist: 34" (86.5 cm) Hip: 42.5" (108 cm) Neck to Waist: 15" (38 cm) Center Back Length: 21" (53.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 7.5 in

Katie Her bust: 35.5" (90 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 2" (5 cm) negative ease Waist: 27" (68.5 cm) Hip: 37" (94 cm) Neck to Waist: 17" (43 cm) Center Back Length: 25" (63.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 10 in

Liz Her bust: 37" (94 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 3.5" (9 cm) negative ease

Stefanie Her bust: 34" ( 86.5 cm) Ease at bust as shown: .5" (1.3 cm) negative ease

Sandi Her bust: 40.5" (103 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 7" (18 cm) negative ease Waist: 37" (94 cm) Hip: 42" (106.5 cm) Neck to Waist: 18" (45.5 cm) Center Back Length: 22" (56 cm) Height: 5 ft 4 in

Toni Her bust: 33.5" (85 cm) Ease at bust as shown: 0" (0 cm) no ease/negative ease Waist: 29" (73.5 cm) Hip: 35.5" (90 cm) Neck to Waist: 15" (38 cm) Center Back Length: 18" (45.5 cm) Height: 5 ft 5 in

IWK Summer 2007 Origami Cardigan Gallery

Kat — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:23:00 GMT

The Origami Cardigan on Bertha and the Interweavers

Just as with the Corset Pullover, Bertha and the Interweave gang once again all try on the same sweater for the greater good of knitting, to demonstrate how the sweater looks with various amounts of ease, both positive and negative.

As you can see, the same sweater looks very different on different women! We give general suggestions for customization below for your inspiration. Only you can choose how you want your sweaters to fit and which customizations will work best for you and your beautiful self! Sample garment shown measures 33.5" (85 cm).



Bertha Her bust: 34" (86.5 cm)

Karen Her bust: 31.5" (80 cm)

Erin Her bust: 38" (96.5 cm)

Katie Her bust: 35.5" (90 cm)

Knitting Daily Galleries : Galleries, Jackets

IWK Fall 2008 Backstage Tweed Jacket

Gallery: Backstage Tweed Jacket by Alina Khasanova

Backstage Tweed Jacket

Toni

Kat

Debbie

Stefanie

Erin

Sandi

Bertha

IWK Summer 2008 Drawstring Raglan

Gallery: Drawstring Raglan, design by Margery Winter

Drawstring Raglan

Stefanie

Katie

Sandi

Erin

Debbie

Bertha

IWK Spring 2008 Holly Jacket

Gallery: Holly Jacket, design by Theresa Schabes

Holly Jacket

Trish

Toni

Debbie

Kerry

Sarah

Bertha

IWK Winter 2007 Aran Jacket

Gallery: Refined Aran Jacket -- design by Pam Allen

Sample garment shown has the following finished measurements:

Annie

Bertha

Debbie

Erin

Karen

Katie

Stefanie

Sandi

Toni

IWK Winter 2007 Rosemary Swing

Gallery: Rosemary's Swing Jacket -- design by Cathy Carron

Sample garment shown has the following finished measurements:

Annie

Bertha

Debbie

Erin

Kat

Katie

Liz

Stefanie

Sandi

Toni

IWK Summer 2007 Origami Cardigan Gallery

The Origami Cardigan on Bertha and the Interweavers

Sample garment shown measures 33.5" (85 cm).

Bertha

Karen

Erin

Katie